EGO

Grammar Follow-Up

2009-07-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

You can download a pdf of A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1927) by H.W. Fowler on the Website of the Internet Archive.

This is the book recommended by Ms. Rand in The Art of Nonfiction.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Abebooks.com. But if you do so, do not get the third edition -- the editor of Nonfiction, Mr. Robert Mayhew, recommends strongly against the third edition.

Where Is The Best Country To Have A Small Business?

2009-07-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

The Challenges Of Small Businesses Making Money In France

When I first started working in France over 20 years ago now, many multinationals had their European headquarters based in Paris. In the mid-1980’s I witnessed a definite trend. These multinationals were relocating their European headquarters to other European countries outside of France. Even with the expense of relocation, these companies got out of France to save money.

It is expensive to have a company in France. The big companies knew that 20 years ago and things have not really changed. They actually got worse with the advent of the 35 hour work week.

So why did I start a very small company here in France a year and a half ago?

Administration Mess

After spending last week sorting out errors made by the French administration, this is the question I’m asking myself today.

Small business owners do not have time to waste no matter where they live. We all work very long hours. So it is annoying when you have to drop everything to respond the representatives of the law who… well… made the mistake in the first place.

It is not politically correct here in France to complain about the errors made by the French administrative employees.

I’m not sure if it is politically correct to treat all company owners as money-hungry capitalists with distain… but it is common here in France and something I encounter frequently.

An Employee’s Society

This past week’s experience reminded me of a conversation I had with a French businessman of Arab descent who I met at the Paris Twestival earlier this year. Arabs have a different business outlook than French people. The conversation was interesting.

This gentleman said that “France is a country that promotes employees. Everything is set up to help and support the employees… to the detriment of the employers and business owners of all sizes”.

You do not need to live here long to see that business owners are not respected by the general French public. The French cultural hang-ups about being embarrassed of “making money” start to kick in. It is just not socially acceptable to acknowledge that you want to make money here in France.

The only way a business owner can get out of this embarrassing situation is to say that he wants to “create jobs”. This is noble… and sort of acceptable. But there is still a problem. You can still feel the undercurrents of distain towards people that want to make money.

Cultural Barriers

I remember when I lived through my first train strikes in Paris. You would never hear anyone on the news complain about the trains being on strike for long periods of time. The people interviewed would put on smiles and state their support of the strikers.

In recent years, I have noticed a few tight-lipped acknowledgments on the evening news that small businesses were forced to close down as a direct result of the prolonged train strikes. But this was still within a general atmosphere of camaraderie supporting the strikers.

In Search Of Small Business Paradise

It is not easy for small businesses everywhere. In France there are additional cultural hurdles for the small business owners compared to those in other countries.

Listening to friends with similar small businesses in England and Canada, the grass definitely looks greener over there.

The problem is that I have already lived in England and Canada.

England was a fantastic experience professionally. But I got tired of the extremely limited choice of fresh fruit and vegetables available in the grocery stores during the winter months. And I worked right next to the 2 expensive department stores on Oxford Street that sold imported fresh produce!
Coming from the Bahamas, the Canadian winters are more than a bit too much for me.

France does have a wonderful lifestyle to offer. But it is much better to experience France as an employee, with its:

5 weeks vacation
35 hour work weeks
Laws of all kinds to protect the employees
Fantastic social security system with long paid maternity leaves financed through the employers
Almost 2 years of unemployment benefits if you are laid off

The hassles of having a small business in France takes up so much time, that I sometimes wonder if that is the government’s strategy to combat unemployment: to incite all businesses, big and small, to hire someone to deal with them.

So here is my question to you…

Where Is The Best Country To Have A Small Business?

If I were to relocate my small business, where would you suggest I relocate?

Here are the particulars: My business is location-independent, so I do not need a thriving local economy. Internet and banking services are very important as I have international clients. And that’s it.

Please let me know where you would set up your small business and why.

Image by bestfor / richard via Flickr

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer & International Sales Strategist based in France. She uses her dual background in sales & marketing to help businesses improve their international sales conversion and develop country-specific international sales guides. Connect with her on Twitter @CindyKing.

Herding Cats Project Management and Productivity

2009-07-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

“Herding Cats” is an expression used often in Project Management. It refers to a task that is extremely difficult, or impossible, to do because of people, or variables, constantly in flux and uncontrollable. There is a popular EDS commercial on YouTube with modern “cat herders”.

People-Factors

Project Managers often have to deal with things that should be straightforward, but they become unbelievably difficult due to the people-factor.

Here is an example: you need to get someone to sign a piece of paper to get something done. Everything has been approved by those on high and all that is needed is one single signature by a finance dweeb. But he refuses. Fear of making a mistake? An uncontrollable desire to prove that he can control time and space? It could be anything.

It's like trying to stand cooked spaghetti on end.

Controlling Email

In personal productivity a great example is email. There are hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands… well… there is at least more than one book that will teach you how to get control of your work email. Not those jokes that get forwarded, not the links to great YouTube videos, like the one above, and not pictures of the family. Real work email.

The Four D’s

I use the Delete, Delegate, Defer, or Do empty-email-inbox-process. I keep my inbox empty except for those emails that still need an action. Everything else has been deleted, or at least most of them, delegated to the right person, deferred or moved into a to-do file or to the appropriate project file or it falls into the “do” category.

“Do” means that you either reply to the email or take the action required by the email. This is best if the action required takes only a moment or two, or if it is actually urgent and important.

When you go through your email and do one of these four actions quickly and properly, you will never spend more than one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. And you will have an empty email box no matter how much work you have.

Cat Herding Emails

How is this like cat herding, I hear you ask. Well, if you are like me, you have more than one urgent and important email that comes in. And it seems as if urgent emails bounce back and forth just after you finish repling to one.

Urgent, urgent, urgent – in an infinite loop.

If you want to avoid this trap, program your email to be sent an hour after you begin. All of them.

Begin working on you email at 9am, send them all at 10am and then log off. When something actually important comes up, let people know that they can call you – but only if it is really important (and don't be afraid to use your voicemail).

Managing Unstable Environments

“Cat herding” is managing extremely unstable environments through practice and persistence. You have to put it in place and stick with it.

How do you handle your “cat herder” situations? What kind of “cat herder” are you?

by Richard McLaughlin, a guest blogger helping Martin make it through summer.

A Means of Learning Grammar and Writing: Study Great Writings and Great Writers

2009-07-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

First off, sorry this is long and pushes posts down ten feet. Blogger does not have a "read more" function that I'm aware of, and that Martin is aware of, else I'd use it.

As Ayn Rand pointed out, anyone who takes reason and rationality seriously should take grammar and writing seriously. Besides studying grammar texts and Rand's The Art of Nonfiction to learn to write well, we should read and study great writing: Rand, Hugo, Jefferson, Madison, Aristotle, Peikoff...

Two pieces of great writing in particular are the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Paper No. 10, both of which are pregnant with content, grammar, structure, and stylistic elements we could learn from, and both of which I excerpt below.

I'd also recommend highly The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence by Stephen E. Lucas. I have not read the whole article -- I hope it does not have some distasteful ideas in it -- but I have read parts of it, so I know it has some good, useful information in it. I provide an excerpt below.

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Excerpt from The Federalist No. 10

By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.

There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.

There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.

It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy, that it was worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency.

The second expedient is as impracticable as the first would be unwise. As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed. As long as the connection subsists between his reason and his self-love, his opinions and his passions will have a reciprocal influence on each other; and the former will be objects to which the latter will attach themselves. The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties.

The latent causes of faction are thus sown in the nature of man; and we see them everywhere brought into different degrees of activity, according to the different circumstances of civil society. A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and many other points, as well of speculation as of practice; an attachment to different leaders ambitiously contending for pre-eminence and power; or to persons of other descriptions whose fortunes have been interesting to the human passions, have, in turn, divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to co-operate for their common good. So strong is this propensity of mankind to fall into mutual animosities, that where no substantial occasion presents itself, the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions and excite their most violent conflicts. But the most common and durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property. Those who hold and those who are without property have ever formed distinct interests in society. Those who are creditors, and those who are debtors, fall under a like discrimination. A landed interest, a manufacturing interest, a mercantile interest, a moneyed interest, with many lesser interests, grow up of necessity in civilized nations, and divide them into different classes, actuated by different sentiments and views. The regulation of these various and interfering interests forms the principal task of modern legislation, and involves the spirit of party and faction in the necessary and ordinary operations of the government.

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Excerpt from The Declaration of Independence

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

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Excerpt from The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence by Stephen E. Lucas

Like the introduction, the next section of the Declaration--usually referred to as the preamble--is universal in tone and scope. It contains no explicit reference to the British- American conflict, but outlines a general philosophy of government that makes revolution justifiable, even meritorious:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Like the rest of the Declaration, the preamble is "brief, free of verbiage, a model of clear, concise, simple statement."(11) It capsulizes in five sentences--202--words what it took John Locke thousands of words to explain in his Second Treatise of Government. Each word is chosen and placed to achieve maximum impact. Each clause is indispensable to the progression of thought. Each sentence is carefully constructed internally and in relation to what precedes and follows. In its ability to compress complex ideas into a brief, clear statement, the preamble is a paradigm of eighteenth-century Enlightenment prose style, in which purity, simplicity, directness, precision, and, above all, perspicuity were the highest rhetorical and literary virtues. One word follows another with complete inevitability of sound and meaning. Not one word can be moved or replaced without disrupting the balance and harmony of the entire preamble.

The stately and dignified tone of the preamble--like that of the introduction--comes partly from what the eighteenth century called Style Periodique, in which, as Hugh Blair explained in his Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, "the sentences are composed of several members linked together, and hanging upon one another, so that the sense of the whole is not brought out till the close." This, Blair said, "is the most pompous, musical, and oratorical manner of composing" and "gives an air of gravity and dignity to composition." The gravity and dignity of the preamble were reinforced by its conformance with the rhetorical precept that "when we aim at dignity or elevation, the sound [of each sentence] should be made to grow to the last; the longest members of the period, and the fullest and most sonorous words, should be reserved to the conclusion." None of the sentences of the preamble end on a single-syllable word; only one, the second (and least euphonious), ends on a two-syllable word. Of the other four, one ends with a four-syllable word ("security"), while three end with three-syllable words. Moreover, in each of the three-syllable words the closing syllable is at least a medium- length four-letter syllable, which helps bring the sentences to "a full and harmonious close."(12)
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c 1989 by Stephen E. Lucas
Stephen E. Lucas is professor of communication arts at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. The present essay is derived from a more comprehensive study, "Justifying America: The Declaration of Independence as a Rhetorical Document," in Thomas W. Benson, ed., American Rhetoric: Context and Criticism (1989).

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I am in awe of the Declaration and the Federalist No. 10. The more you read and study them, the more you get out of them.

OCON '09 WRAP-UP

2009-07-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted from Gus Van Horn.

As I mentioned previously, a trip out of the country caused me to miss the first half of this year's OCON, although it took place in Boston, where I now live. I also decided -- correctly, I still think -- that diving into a full schedule of activities on the heels of that trip and a cross-country move would be a little too much, and went for a relatively light schedule of (mainly afternoon/evening) activities and socializing.

But that doesn't mean I don't wish I could have attended the entire week. I really enjoyed the conference at Telluride two years ago and see that several bloggers who attended this year wrote about their experiences. For my own convenience and for that of any who didn't attend, I present this roundup of information on the conference.

If you have further posts or interesting links I haven't included, feel free to write me about them or mention them in the comments.

1. Not tweeting (yet?) myself, I nevertheless will start by mentioning that Diana Hsieh and others used Twitter to post short notes about the proceedings, often in real time. I do wonder whether Twitter is making roundup posts like this superfluous, but will slog ahead anyway...

2. Kendall J of The Crucible, kept a near-daily log of his experiences: OCON – Day 1 & 2, OCON Days 3,4 & 5, OCON Day 6 & 7, and OCON Final Days. Kendall helpfully breaks his posts down into course-related and social sections. From his post on the final days of the conference:

Diana's OBloggers dinner was a success, with such notable bloggers attending as C. August of Titanic Deck Chairs, the husband and wife duo of One Reality and 3 Ring Binder, Gus Van Horn, TOS's Craig Biddle, and new blogger Rational Egoist's Jason Crawford in addition to Paul (GeekPress) and Diana (Noodlefood). We burned the midnight oil back at the hotel discussing all sorts of topics! [minor edits]

I definitely enjoyed that event and would like to thank Diana for organizing it. This was a very fun group of people to spend time with, and it was my first good chance to become better acquainted with the other Boston-area bloggers.

Speaking of whom, ...

3. C. August attended on a somewhat scaled-back basis, but kept good notes: OCON - Day 2, OCON - Days 3 & 4, and OCON - Day 5. This comes from his first entry, about the second day of the conference.

Onkar Ghate spoke on the separation of church and state, its political/philosophical underpinnings, and the threats it faces from the religious right and secular left. It was a fantastic talk.

At the end, Harry Binswanger prodded Onkar to get it published soon, and Onkar responded that he had a book in the making. Harry prodded further and suggested an op-ed so the ideas would be immediately available, which got a big round of applause. I'd actually like to see something in The Objective Standard, with extensive footnotes, because Onkar referred to many works by John Locke and other Enlightenment figures, and it would be a valuable resource.

I definitely agree with that sentiment.

4. Like C. August, I missed seeing the Boston Tea Party, which benefited from a strong presence of ARI speakers and OCON attendees, but Paul Hsieh posted pictures.

5. Returning to the Boston bloggers... Husband and wife duo SB and LB had lots of worthwhile posts on the OCON. SB's diary consisted of the following posts: OCON Update - July 4 through 6, 2009, OCON Update - July 7 through 9, 2009, and OCON Update - July 10 and 11, 2009. From the last of these:

In a general lecture called "Free Minds and Free Markets," Peter Schwartz pointed out the inextricable connection of liberty and capitalism. As Ayn Rand put it, "A free mind and a free market are corollaries." Mr. Schwartz elaborated upon this with his typical brilliance and intensity, and he illustrated his points with many examples, including some execrable quotes from Nicholas Kristof, David Brooks, and Cass Sunstein.

This was one of the two general sessions I attended. The other, also superb, was delivered by John Allison. If I'd ever heard Peter Schwartz speak, it was long-enough ago that I didn't remember just how good a speaker he is.

LB, besides nicely summarizing the social atmosphere of OCON, makes me really wish I'd felt up to attending more of OCON, specifically John Lewis's course:

One of the most immediately motivating things I learned at OCON this week regards the light that lyric poetry of Archaic Greece shines on that important period in the advancement of thought. Dr. John Lewis' presentation of this period was enlightening and inspiring. I will be exploring this period through poetry further, but for now, offer a link to a later bit of interpreted poetry describing the key differences in the archaic poets Homer and Hesiod.

6. I also spent some time catching up with other friends from across the country and over time. Besides being pleasantly surprised to run into a couple of good people I hadn't seen in ten and fifteen years, I walked around the harbor area one afternoon with a friend from Houston. My camera is still MIA, but he had his camera and he's a better photographer than I am anyway. I hope he remembers to send me pictures of the beautiful tall ships that graced the concurrent Sail Boston 2009 event nearby. I may post some of them here later on if he does.

7. Commenter JG notes that Yaron Brook's speech to the Boston Tea Party has been posted to YouTube in two parts.

-- CAV

Ayn Rand on Grammar

2009-07-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ms. Rand believed grammar was important, very important -- I'd say, an essential part of reasoning, and therefore, I'd add, of being objective and practicing the Objectivist virtues.

Read these excerpts (from pp. 99-104 of The Art of Nonfiction by Ayn Rand, ed. Robert Mayhew, a Plume Book, Penguin Publishers, (c) Estate of Ayn Rand, 2001), think about what Peikoff's OPAR says, and see if you agree with my claims:

One of the most important applications of the Objectivist attitude toward reason is grammar. The ability to think precisely, and thus to write precisely, cannot be achieved without observing grammatical rules.

Grammar has the same purpose as concepts. The rules of grammar are rules for using concepts precisely. ... The grammar of all language tells us how to organize our concepts so as to make them communicate a specific, unequivocal meaning.
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[B]y the time you reach college, you should realize how important [grammatical] rules are. Therefore, if you know why we should fight for reason, and for the right view of concepts, then let us -- on the same grounds -- have a crusade for grammar.
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The difficulty here is that most of you today [meaning most Americans in 1969...and therefore, I'm sure, a fortiori to Americans today. (See Ms. Rand's comments on p. 99.) -- MG] are so used to a subjective shorthand that you lose the distinction between your own inner context and an objective statement.
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If you have forgotten your grade school lessons, get a good primer on grammar -- preferably an old one -- and revive your knowledge. You will be surprised how much more important it appears to you now than it did when you were a child.
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If you want to express your ideas, particularly ideas based on Objectivism, learn clarity -- and that means concepts, grammar, punctuation.

We should study writing and grammar each for our own selfish interests, but if we are going to engage in activism, there is all the more reason to master writing and grammar.

Here are some recommended books:

The Art of Nonfiction

Writing and Thinking by Foerster and Steadman

Rex Barks by Phyllis Davenport (sentence diagramming)

A Dictionary of Modern English Usage by H.W. Fowler (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1926) -- recommended by Ms. Rand in Art of Nonfiction; Mr. Mayhew says to avoid the third edition. Wikipedia has information on the book and its editions.

You can also find some of these books on Amazon.com or Abebooks.com. I know Fowler's Dictionary is on Abe -- I just purchased four copies.

Forgot to mention and recommend Principles of Grammar by Dr. Leonard Peikoff!!

Rational Standards of Health

2009-07-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

Protagoras said: man is the measure of all things.

True -- in context of an objective metaphysics and epistemology. Which then allow you to properly use the Protagorean principle in the science of health.

And you should want to, to be egoistic and selfish...which this blog is about. But we must keep in mind, it is only on an objective metaphysical and epistemological basis that you'll get egoism right.

Ayn Rand pointed out:

The Objectivist ethics holds that the actor must always be the beneficiary of his action and that man must act for his own rational self-interest. But his right to do so is derived from his nature as man and from the function of moral values in human life—and, therefore, is applicable only in the context of a rational, objectively demonstrated and validated code of moral principles which define and determine his actual self-interest. It is not a license “to do as he pleases” and it is not applicable to the altruists’ image of a “selfish” brute nor to any man motivated by irrational emotions, feelings, urges, wishes or whims.

This is said as a warning against the kind of “Nietzschean egoists” who, in fact, are a product of the altruist morality and represent the other side of the altruist coin: the men who believe that any action, regardless of its nature, is good if it is intended for one’s own benefit. Just as the satisfaction of the irrational desires of others is not a criterion of moral value, neither is the satisfaction of one’s own irrational desires. Morality is not a contest of whims . . . (“Introduction,” The Virtue of Selfishness, ix.)

But how to apply the Protagorean principle to health, so you can egoistically live your own life to its fullest and best? How to apply it, so you can better raise children? How to apply it, so you can provide rational principles of health to friends, so their lives can be better, too?

We have to appeal to the special sciences and evolution, as Dr. Michael Eades does in his blog post "Hard Wired to the Past."

After discussing in his post some quotes from a Scientific American article on cats and a poem about cats by J.R.R. Tolkien, Dr. Eades says:

We, ourselves, like cats, walked “in thought unbowed, proud, where loud roared and fought [our] kin, lean and slim, or deep in den in the East [and] feasted on beasts” in a time long past. And just like fat cats on mats everywhere, we remember, too, those “fierce and free” primal days, if not in our conscious brains, at least in our DNA. We are hardwired to gobble meat with “huge ruthless tooth in gory jaw.” If you don’t believe me, take a look at this YouTube of chimps, our nearest genetic ancestor hunting and eating meat.
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We’ve developed our large brains and our social instincts as a consequence of meat eating. I’m planning a post on this subject in the near future, so you can see how our very humanness arose because we developed a taste for meat. We are carnivores to our very cores – were we not, we would still be roaming the savannas with brains the size of grapefruits.

We are not, by nature, grain eaters. We were not conditioned and have not evolved to eat grains, table sugar, lots of salt, etc. -- those are practices and recommendations based on desperation (early societies needing to feed lots of people, or die) and a mismeasure of man. We learn this, not by arbitrarily attacking agriculture, capitalism, and human pleasure, but by applying the rigorous, objective methods of science to study man's health and well-being.

We should also be careful to not follow false arguments or premises like 'if it's healthy, it will be harsh and rigidly disciplined' or 'if I eat healthy, I'll be missing out on a lot of things I like.' Eating right -- it may surprise us only if we suffer under false, unchecked premises -- is easy, enjoyable, and pleasant.

You should at least cut back, way back, on your pizza, bread, hamburgers, and candy. True, you give them up, and you are missing them and the pleasure they give. But turn that around. Since you can only eat so much, since we are finite and limited, when you eat candy and pizza and all, you are missing out on eating more beef tenderloin, lobster, goat cheese, cantaloupe, nuts, strawberries, blueberries...none of which attack your body as do candy and flour, which are long-term self-destructive. What's more, pleasure as such is not a value; it needs to be put in context, it needs to be evaluated in terms of human life and cause and effect. Some pleasures are rational, some are not.

If we are to have man -- man qua rational animal, considered across the whole of his life span -- as the standard of value in our lives, we should then eat not as whim dictates, but as our nature dictates. Following our nature, after all, is what makes us successful in life. And it feels good, and it makes us happy.

IT'S CAT LUCK!

2009-07-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

In The Anti-Industrial Revolution, Miss Rand comments on the complaints about noise pollution:

Would you regard the following as an expression of love for man? This deals with another alleged pollution created by cities: noise. "Nor can the harried urban inhabitant seek silence indoors. He merely substitutes the clamor of rock music for the beat of the steam hammers, the buzz of the air conditioner for the steady rumble of traffic. The modern kitchen, with its array of washing machines, garbage-disposal units and blenders, often rivals the street corner as a source of unwanted sound."

Consider the fate of a human being, a woman, who is to become once again a substitute for washing machines, garbage-disposal units and blenders. Consider what human life and suffering were like, indoors and out, prior to the advent of air conditioning. The price you pay for these marvelous advantages is "unwanted sound." Well, there is no unwanted sound in a cemetery.

I have never really found it difficult to deal with the noise of my appliances: What I usually do is put a load into the washing machine and the dishwasher, start them, grab a book, and head out into a park to do some reading. After an hour and a half, I'm back, and my clothes and dishes are clean. Today, for example, I read three chapters of Eli Goldratt's It's Not Luck--an activity that is certainly much more pleasant, and also more productive, than washing all my stuff by hand.

On my way back, I noticed a cute little kitten hanging about by the roadside. "Hey," I thought as I slammed on the brake, "here's my chance to follow in the footsteps of Martin and Elizabeth!" It was only then I that realized I didn't have my camera with me. But another "source of unwanted sound," my cellphone, saved the day for me. I'll still need to improve my technique of luring the cat into a proper position relative to the sun, and obviously, I'll have to remember to have my real camera with me next time--but still, I can proudly proclaim that, as of today,

I have made my entry into the world of catblogging!

GROUNDSWELL AND SOCIAL TECHNOLOGIES

2009-07-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Image by glenn.batuyong via Flickr

Tomorrow I will meet a couple of entrepreneurs for a discussion on how to use social media regarding some new business opportunities. I have started to read Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies by Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff.

Listen to these interviews:

Interview With Charlene Li, Author of Groundswell by Nick O'Neill.
Groundswell Co-author Charlene Li to Discuss Future of Social Networks and Social Technologies by Sumaya Kazi.

Information (in Swedish) about my courses ("Blogga, mikroblogga och kommunicera på nätet" & "Marknadsföring genom bloggar och andra sociala medier") on social media at Sensus is now available on their web site.

ORGANIZE DESKTOP WITH FENCES

2009-07-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

It is pretty hard to stay away from blogging after I announced to take a break... I got an email from a fellow member of a historical association wondering what I should do in my spare time. He mentioned something about cats, flowers and "members of the opposite sex". I don't know so much about flowers due to the lack of green thumbs and I am not actively searching for the right one at the moment. [Editor's note: I have to get hold of a t-shirt from NetBachelor first.] So, I have to do some cat blogging instead!

Morris the cat in the washing-up sink.

Image by jetalone via Flickr

I haven't been able to catch up with my email inbox yet. I have 22,505 email messages in my inbox at the moment. I have to archive them and start from scratch, using GTDinbox and Gtagenda...

I am glad that I have "cleaned" my computer desktop at last. I used a program called Fences. In order to get inspiration for my ongoing workflow battle, I have added a GTD wallpaper by Anabubula.

NOTE BY EDITOR: GUEST BLOGGER SARAH BETH

2009-07-09T17:33:00.001-07:00

Image by BenSpark via Flickr

[Editor's note: I want to welcome another guest blogger. Please give Sarah Beth (Think Dammit | Reclaim Your Brain blog & @smallangel on Twitter) a great welcome! :) OK, back to my blog break... ;) I am testing Zemanta. Read Rick Klau's post, Zemanta helps you "blog smarter".] Take some time and stop by One Reality and read the Objectivist Round Up #104. Via Gus Van Horn's post, Quick Roundup 446.]

PERSONALITIES (SOLD BY PACKAGE ONLY)

2009-07-09T05:42:00.000-07:00

Are you a Type A personality? If you are, it's bad news: Doctors say it's one of the risk factors for ischemic heart disease, and, according to this online test, it means you have "a high price to pay" for your ambitions and achievements: You "experience a constant sense of opposition, wariness, and apprehension" and your "bursts of hostility and impatience result in guilt, remorse and anxiety." In a nutshell, you are basically a nervous wreck. Oh, and a second-hander, too, with your "persistent desire for external recognition."

Now, if you aren't Type A, you must be Type B. And if that's what you are, it's bad news! At least according to the same online test, which seems to suggest that the reason Type B personalities don't pay a high price for their ambitions and achievements is because they don't have any. Here are some of the answers that would make you a Type B:

"I frankly don't care whether I do or do not make it into the top 10%."
"I get no particular pleasure out of acquiring things."
"It doesn't matter whether my family is financially secure. The important thing is to be together."
"It doesn't bother me if I cannot finish what I planned for the day."
"I often choose to spend time with my friends or family, even though I have something important to do."

In a nutshell, Type B means you're a lazy bum. Oh, and a second-hander, too!

Here are my test results:

I scored 50% because I chose the "Type B" answer for the questions that asked about being a nervous wreck and the "Type A" answer for the questions that asked about being a lazy bum. I was told that "in this case, the middle ground is good" and I was commended for having "a very healthy attitude towards life"--but despite all that praise heaped on me, the whole thing left me feeling insulted. After all, if I had given the exact opposite answer to each question, I would have gotten the exact same score! I bet if the authors heard my reaction (consisting mainly of instructions on where to shove their personality test), they would recoil in horror and promptly reclassify me as a terminal case of Type A!

It didn't take me long to recognize this as an insidious package deal meant to discourage people from pursuing their values--but what will it do to the many innocent, unsuspecting people taking the test who haven't been taught to watch out for the false dichotomies and other tricks used by people posing as "experts" to further their anti-man agenda?

A much more rational take on the subject is offered by Dr. Harry Mills:

The specific aspects of a Type A individual that continue to be related to heart disease are explosive reactions, competitiveness, impatience, irritability and hostility. Lumped together these traits equal anger.

[...] Type As seek excellence to prove their worth. Type B people, on the other hand, can also achieve personal success but do so because the process is enjoyable to them. Type Bs feel secure inside and do not need hostility or competition to succeed.

although it still suffers from a conflation of hostility (see Figure 1 below) and competitiveness (see Figure 2).

Figure 1. Hostile people

Figure 2. Competitive people

EGO BLOGRANK BY INVESP CONSULTING

2009-07-08T01:26:00.000-07:00

[Editor's note: I want to clarify that I am not going away on a vacation trip. I will be close to the computer, so I could write a post if I want to... I wanted to book time for getting ready with my workflow procedure and at the same time take a break from the regular blogging schedule. I think it is a great element in the summer period to blend your blog with featured guest bloggers. The following individuals have said that they are planning to write a guest post:

Elizabeth of Hence the Elizabethan
Exalted Moments of The Charlotte Capitalist
Michael Gold of MGTutoring.com
Roland Horvath
Grace Ignacio of GirlOpinion
Cindy King of CindyKing.biz

Please welcome my guest bloggers! Check out their profiles and write a comment...]

After I read Anita Campbell's post, Top 100 Small Business Blogs Per BlogRank, I went to Invesp Consulting's site and registered my blog under the philosophy category (click first on "History & Religion" and then "Philosophy"). For more on blogRank, read Khalid's post, How does blog Rank calculates the ultimate rank?

WORKLIFE SUMMER BREAK

2009-07-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

I hereby announce my worklife summer break. I will try to recruit some guest bloggers during this month. I will go through the below mentioned list as an exercise in the improvement of my workflow implementation. The list of top 25 GTD blogs is compiled by blogRank. [Hat tip to Anita Campbell's post, Top 100 Small Business Blogs Per BlogRank.]

I will reading the following material in the near future:

Personal Core Values by Lodewijk van den Broek.
Todoodlist by Nick Cernis.
Why Preaching to the Choir is a Good Thing by Chris Guillebeau.
Seth Godin On Social Networking For Business – Is It Useless? by Matthew Ringer.
The Big To-Do Over To Do's by Steve Rubel.
Blogaholism - Is It In You? by Lawrence Rubin. [Via Brian Clark.]
Work-Life Balance section of BusinessWeek Business Exchange site.

How about a summer drink?

Ingredients:

Milk
Aronia / chokeberry juice with apple from Wideum Garden.
Acai juice from Acai Planet.
Chocolate (melted) from Xocai.
Wild strawberries.
Ice cubes.

Cheers!

STATUE OF LIBERTY CROWN

2009-07-04T23:56:00.000-07:00

Graphic by Robert Tracy of Illustrated Ideas.

In the news: Lady Liberty's crown reopens for 4th of July, 8 years after 9/11 attacks closed her to visitors. Matt Lysiak, NY Daily News.

From the Whitehouse: Lady Liberty's Crown Opens on 4th of July. Katelyn Sabochik, Director of New Media for the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Read Ari Herzog's post, How @StatueLibrtyNPS Celebrates July IVth.

From my post, THE STATUE OF LIBERTY REOPENS:

Thanks to Robert Tracy (Illustrated Ideas) for creating this image:

Related: My posts, VISIT TO THE BIG APPLE NYC IN 2009 and LIVE FREE OR DIE.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

2009-07-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

I celebrated Independence Day with fellow members of Vasa Order of America (lodge Gothenburg #452). How did you celebrate?

Vasa Order of America - Gothenburg #452.

and now a word from King George III...

AL SHABAAB MEETING IN GOTHENBURG

2009-07-02T04:06:00.000-07:00

I am reading in the local newspaper (Gothenburg's Post) that the spiritual leader of Al-Shabaab, Xasaan Xuseen, will attend a meeting at the Bellevue Mosque in Gothenburg. According to the newspaper, his mission for the visit is to collect money and recruit new members.

In the news: EU sends warning to Somali militants. [Via Terror Free Somalia Foundation.]

The Swedish special envoy to the Somali Peace Process, Mr Joran Bjallerstedt, ruled out any quick-fix measures in the rehabilitation of Somalia.

In a subtle warning to the militia, Mr Bjallerstedt dismissed them as “having no idea beyond the overthrowing the legitimate government.”

He noted that with the collapsed infrastructure in Somalia, the Al Shabaab militia would find it hard to run the country should they overthrow the government.

“... these insurgents will just cause problems within small territories in Somalia, they cannot manage the whole country,” he said. (July 1, 2009, Daily Nation.)

Related: My post, TERRORIST LINKED TO MOSQUE IN STOCKHOLM.

LIFESTREAM AND WORKFLOW

2009-06-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

I didn't manage to write a workflow post for week 26. My "deadline" (July 4) for the implementation of my workflow system is getting close and I must admit that I will have a hard time to finish in time. I have a huge backlog of papers and other material that I have to go through.

With that said, my regular blogging could become pretty "lite" during the month of July and August. I already "warned" about this in my annual blog report post. I hope I could find some guest bloggers that could fill in a bit. I will continue with some microblogging like Twitter and FriendFeed. I will also be active on other blogs writing comments. I have a couple of pieces in the pipeline for Open Forum blog.

I recommend you to read Steve Rubel's post, Frequently Asked Questions About This Lifestream. It is interesting how an "A-list" blogger like Steve Rubel is changing his blogging pattern and starts to integrate plenty of bits and pieces into one big lifestream with a reference to Leonardo Da Vinci. He has picked Posterous for his new hybrid of publishing stuff online.

Lately I have been shifting more of my reading/sharing to my iPhone. Some days I probably spend as much time or more time browsing the web from my mobile device than I do my laptop. Now that I have a new iPhone 3GS, I also want to do more with photos and video. Posterous seems like the great hybrid solution since I can share things in different places based on context and easily do so through via email. (SteveRubel.com, June 21, 2009.)

I think that Steve Rubels ideas are well aligned with the "getting things done" method in that you should do the right stuff at the right moment depending on where you are located at the moment. Personally, I am doing almost all my blogging sitting at the computer desk. I have done a little bit of blogging when I am around and about, for example, sitting at a coffee place with a subnotebook. In order for me to start to blog on the go and in different places, I need to have reliable and user friendly tools, like a really "smart" smartphone and a small portable video camera. What's your take on iPhone 3GS, Flip Ultra HD and Kodak Zx1?

Here is an informative illustration from Steve Rubel's post, A Lifestreaming Workflow.

[Editor's note to self: I have to check out Zemanta.]

A new trend that could be coming along nicely is audio microblogging for your worklife. [Via BizSugar.] I will test Chirbit and Ipadio so I could start broadcasting and adding my own audio files on my blog.

LIVE FREE OR DIE

2009-06-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

I prefer to do some catblogging instead of talking politics, after the recent incidents in Sweden and America.

Do you see "camouflage" Morris?

But after an exchange with Larry Robiner on Twitter, I had to write a post on today's situation and what could come in the future.

@lyceum yes, "everything is possible" in free America, including the election of George W. Bush to president. TWICE! Why is that so great??
3:33 PM Jun 21st from Seesmic Desktop in reply to lyceum

@LRobiner Here is an example of "American in spirit," my post http://bit.ly/NvNZB
3:19 PM Jun 21st from web in reply to LRobiner

@lyceum what does it mean to be "an American in spirit"?
2:24 PM Jun 21st from Seesmic Desktop

and now a word from George Orwell...

I would have been hesitant to vote for George W. Bush the second time around. The first time I would probably vote for him on his "cowboy merits," and as a protest vote against Al Gore. I wonder what will happen next. Could supporters and the leading members of the "Grand Old Party" get their act together and find a decent candidate next time? I am not sure about that. The problem is what you could end up with Hillary Clinton as a "comeback kid"... I don't think that Obama will manage another period.

Here is an excerpt from Glenn Beck's interview with Barry Goldwater, Jr.:

GOLDWATER: And we have a two-party system and that system basically, historically has worked well.

I think the Republicans have gotten off-track. My father, Senator Goldwater, set the tone for the conservative movement back in 1964, established a philosophy which appealed to a lot of people and still do today — and that's less government, protecting our liberties, personal freedom, personal responsibility, a strong national defense and a free market.

Those are the core principles that Senator Goldwater and also Ronald Reagan adhered to, were spokesmen for and governed by.

But in the '70s, all of a sudden, under Ronald Reagan, they started to embrace religion. And they began getting these personal issues into the political spectrum. And as a result, we're — we are constantly debating wedge issues — like abortion, prayer in the schools and the definition of marriage.

And we've gotten distracted and away from those core principles. And the Republican Party needs to get back to that. (Fox News, June 3, 2009.)

Listen to Yaron Brook's speech at the Republican Party of Virginia 2009 State Convention (Part 2 of 2). You could listen to the first part if you go to the featured video section on this blog.

On a personal level, I am very interested to find the right political climate in my future "neighborhood". Please continue to give me tips on places that you think could match my views and profile. How did you celebrate Flag Day? How will you celebrate Independence Day? Are you attending a tea party? Read Sylvia Bokor's post, Tea Parties and Going John Galt: America's New Direction?, Edward Cline's post, The New Sons of Liberty and Zev Barnett's post, In Defense of Liberty as intellectual ammunition and preparation for the future...

WORKFLOW WEEK 25

2009-06-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend I started to read the e-book, Todoodlist by Nick Cernis. I think that this book could have a great impact on my work-life. Talking about list, here is a sample of individuals who are interested in "getting things done"... I did a #GTD search on Twitter and scanned Alltop's GTD page.

VMaryAbraham of Above and Beyond KM.
jlindenthal of Lindy's Journal.
TanyaatDBT of Dezigns by T.
LaneInc of Ron Lane.
contactabe - Abe Awasthi.
TesTeq of BIZNES BEZ STRESU (in Polish).
gtdtimes - GTD Times.
webmaid of Rheinhessenarchiv :: Genealog (in German).
SebastianJ - SebastianJohnsson.com.
joshrace of GTDPeers.com.

masontech of Did I Get Things Done.
hdbbstephen of Business Development In Context.
RockYourDay - Rock Your Day.
thinksimplenow - Think Simple Now.
UncluttererTips - Unclutterer.
ericmack of Notes on Productivity.
ianmckenzie of Ian’s Messy Desk.
JasonWomack of Your best just got better.
blackbeltprod of Black Belt Productivity.
Lifehacker - Lifehacker GTD.

I have to add nickcernis of Put Things Off. OK, time to read further in Todoodlist...

[Editor's note: Please come with additional names to the list...]

HELP IRAN ELECTION DOT COM

2009-06-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am planning to add a green overlay to my Twitter avatar. For more information, go to www.HelpIranElection.com.

Do Not Read This

John Cox is in the news:

Meanwhile, in Berlin...

Mir Hossein Mousavi

Related: My post, FROM ZORO TO SHIITE IN IRAN.

BIZSUGAR TOP STORIES

2009-06-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

I have added bizSugar widget to the Resources category. Read the press release of May 22: Small Business Trends Acquires Social Media Site BizSugar.com.

I will do some changes with the template in the near future, e.g., remove some of the ads. I open for tips and suggestions on good affiliate links with products and services that are related to the content of this blog.

DISQUS AND SHARE THIS BLOG POST

2009-06-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have added the ShareThis feature to the blog, so you could now share my blog posts on different social media networking and bookmarking tools. I have to check out the sharebox and contact manager in the near future.

I am thinking of adding Disqus to my new Ego Sole Trader site sometime in the future. I like how Travis Campbell of MarketingProfessor.com has added a Disqus interface to his site.

WORKFLOW WEEK 24

2009-06-14T23:42:00.001-07:00

This weekend I have listened to David Stiernholm's audio book, "Never eat the mango in one piece" ("Ät aldrig mangon hel" in Swedish"). I have learned four thumb rules:

Have one, and only one (1) place for your stuff.
Get an overview of the situation.
Take "fragments", piece by piece, instead of trying to "eat the mango in one piece." What's the next step?
Develop your system, build it for the next level, fine-tune it.

I am still struggling with the first rule. I have to set up the right buckets for my work-life. I have had a reference file system for some time, but I have to go through it and see what I need at the moment, what I could throw away, and what I should add to the box. I recently bought a tickler file system from Stiernholm Consulting. I will start using it during this month and have it fully implemented in the beginning of July as I wrote in an earlier post. I have to go through the in-basket and then start to use it in a proper way. I still have to go through my email inbox. I will get help by the GTD applications, GTDInbox and Gtdagenda. I will take time during midsummer to get everything in place.

After I have got all the pieces in place, it will be much easier to have a clear "helicopter view" and a total picture of my whole work-life. This will include all my different projects, keep the calendar up-to-date and start to get better in keeping tabs on what I have delegated to others and what's on my "waiting list"...

The real hard part is start to get used to break things up in smaller pieces. One helpful tool is to always have the "control of the situation" card handy. You could describe it as a designated "record / index card" / portable to-do-list.

Maybe you are asking: How should you get started?

David Stiernholm gave the following tips during his intensive course in personal productivity:

Decide where you should store your to do tasks. [Editor's comment: "Checkmarked" First put things on the to-do cards and in the Livescribe "dot paper" note book / journal during my weekly reviews and meetings, and then transfer them to the Gtagenda program.]

Get a physical in-basket for your writing desk. [Editor's comment: "Checkmarked" I have one, "check". But I have to go through it and use it in a proper way...]

Create one (and only one) unambiguous reference system. [Editor's comment: "Checkmarked" I have one. Time to go through and update it.]

Get a tickler file system. [Editor's comment: "Checkmarked" I have got one. Time to set it up.]

Do a complete overview of your projects. [Editor's comment: I am thinking of using GoalEnforcer as a combined project mindmap / brainstorming tool.]

Put all your stuff in the in-basket and start processing... [Editor's comment: Let's go!]

In order to apply continuous improvement (Kaizen) of the system, I will do as I wrote in my post, START OF WEEKLY WORKFLOW REVIEW:

# Review of the weekly review end of the 2009. What has worked and what should be changed, added, etc.

# Annual review of the workflow structure and method as a part of my annual blog report in beginning of May 2010.

So, how was your week? Any productivity tips you want to share?

SUMMER ENTREPRENEURS

2009-06-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

I will be one of the speakers at a kick-off event in Skövde on June 17. [Editor's note: Here is a PDF of the program.] I will try to give some inspirational fuel to more than 100 individuals from the generation Y (in this case, between 15 - 20 years old). They will start their own business during this summer. I will talk about social media and personal branding. I will do a quiz during my talk and give away a copy of Dan Schawbel's book, Me 2.0 - Build A Powerful Brand To Achieve Career Success. [Editor's note: I will translate and post my presentation on my blog later on. Do you have tips on tools for doing this?]

The other speakers are:

Fredrik Olsson of Miami Guerrilla Agency.
Pia Hansson of C&D Snickeri.
Anneli Egestam of Egestam Marketing.

Read about the "summer entrepreneur" concept.

EGO

Grammar Follow-Up

Where Is The Best Country To Have A Small Business?

Herding Cats Project Management and Productivity

A Means of Learning Grammar and Writing: Study Great Writings and Great Writers

OCON '09 WRAP-UP

Ayn Rand on Grammar

Rational Standards of Health

IT'S *CAT* LUCK!

GROUNDSWELL AND SOCIAL TECHNOLOGIES

ORGANIZE DESKTOP WITH FENCES

NOTE BY EDITOR: GUEST BLOGGER SARAH BETH

PERSONALITIES (SOLD BY PACKAGE ONLY)

EGO BLOGRANK BY INVESP CONSULTING

WORKLIFE SUMMER BREAK

STATUE OF LIBERTY CROWN

INDEPENDENCE DAY

AL SHABAAB MEETING IN GOTHENBURG

LIFESTREAM AND WORKFLOW

LIVE FREE OR DIE

WORKFLOW WEEK 25

HELP IRAN ELECTION DOT COM

BIZSUGAR TOP STORIES

DISQUS AND SHARE THIS BLOG POST

WORKFLOW WEEK 24

SUMMER ENTREPRENEURS

IT'S CAT LUCK!